How to Dispose of a Mattress in LA (2026): Free & Paid Options

Your options at a glance

The free state program: Bye Bye Mattress

California runs a statewide mattress recycling program called Bye Bye Mattress, operated by the Mattress Recycling Council. It's funded by a small recycling fee you already paid when you bought your current mattress (about eighteen dollars per new mattress as of 2026), so using it costs nothing extra.

Look up the nearest site by ZIP code, bring proof of California residency, and drop your mattress or box spring off free. There it's broken into steel, foam, fibers, and wood — and turned into products like carpet padding, insulation, and rebar. LA County also runs a Countywide Mattress Recycling Program page to help residents find nearby options.

Free when you're buying a new one: retailer take-back

Under California law, every mattress retailer — including online sellers — must take back your old mattress and box spring free when they deliver a new one (they have up to 30 days to collect it). Just confirm the take-back at checkout, and the delivery crew handles the old one. No hauling, no drop-off trip.

Free city curbside pickup (if you qualify)

If you're an eligible City of Los Angeles resident, the city's free bulky-item pickup includes mattresses. It's genuinely useful — but it's curbside-only, can take days to weeks, and doesn't serve independent cities like Santa Monica or Glendale, or most apartment buildings. Read our guide to free city pickup vs. paid removal before you plan around it.

Why you can't just toss it (and the bed-bug problem)

Dragging a mattress to the alley or a dumpster is illegal dumping in California and can bring a fine. Since the state already funds free recycling, there's no upside to risking it.

When paid removal is worth it

The free options are great when the stars align. Paid removal earns its cost when they don't:

• The mattress is up stairs or in a back bedroom and you'd rather not wrestle it out.
• You don't have a truck to reach a drop-off site.
• It's infested or soiled, so recyclers won't take it and it needs careful, bagged removal.
• You're on a deadline — a move-out, a sale, or a rental turnover.
• Your address isn't covered by city pickup (an independent city or a recycLA apartment).

With flat pricing you see the number before you book, the crew carries it out from wherever it sits, and we route usable and recyclable mattresses through Bye Bye Mattress where possible. See how a mattress pickup fits with the rest of a job on our mattress removal page or the full price list.

Frequently asked questions